The Best Smart Switches for a High-Tech Home (2024)

What is a smart switch?

A smart switch is an energy-efficient, electrical switch that can be controlled via smartphone app, voice assistant, or other smart home device. Smart switches are conveniently installed to replace traditional light switches, but they can also be used to control fans and appliances, too.

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Within its Kasa Smart brand, TP-Link produces several high-quality smart switches to suit a variety of situations, and the KS225 Wi-Fi Dimmer Switch spotlights the latest technologies. Installing the single-pole switch does require a neutral wire, but as long as you have one at the location, the process is relatively straightforward. The primary on/off switch is a large button that looks like a typical paddle-style switch, but you can't push both the top and bottom of it like a true rocker. Two smaller buttons increase or decrease your lights' brightness (with a KS205 model available without dimming).

Connecting the switch to Wi-Fi and the Kasa Smart app is also simple, thanks to a setup process aided by Bluetooth wireless. Through the app, you'll be able to control the switch from anywhere with internet access, including full brightness control, scheduling, multi-device scenes, and an away mode to make it look like you're home. Its option to gradually fade lights on or off is another nice touch.

The KS225 supports Amazon Alexa and Google Home and can take advantage of voice commands and integrations with those ecosystems, but it especially stands out as one of the few switches at the time of writing to support Matter. Designed to foster universal compatibility across brands, the Matter standard allows Matter-compatible devices from any smart platform (including Apple Home and Samsung SmartThings) to work smoothly together, as long as you have a device that can serve as a Matter hub for the network.

_{Connectivity: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Matter hub | Switch Style: Single-button paddle with dimmer | Circuit Type: Single-pole | Control Method: Kasa Smart, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Matter}

Wyze has quickly made a name for itself as a budget-friendly smart home brand, and the one-button Wyze Switch is a great example of its simple but effective offerings. While you can find switches with more advanced features like dimming and motion sensing that are fairly close in price, each dollar can make a difference if you're buying multiple switches to place throughout your home. The Wyze Switch also comes in packs of three for a better value (but note that three-way switches are not available).

The Wyze app gives you the basic controls to turn the switch on and off, set schedules and timers, and activate vacation mode. You unlock the potential for much more advanced functions and automation, though, by integrating the switch with other Wyze gadgets—particularly smart bulbs that would essentially become useless if turned off by a traditional switch. You can even program different customized actions to different types of button presses, like turning on all your Wyze Bulbs with a triple-press or opening smart locks with a long-press. The Wyze Switch is also compatible with Alexa and Google Home, and you can set up other third-party automations through IFTTT applets.

_{Connectivity: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi | Switch Style: Single button | Circuit Type: Single-pole | Control Method: Wyze, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT}

Leviton's Decora switches were so iconic that they became the household name for the switch style, so it's no surprise that today's D26HD Smart Dimmer Switch is a dependable, top-quality option. Its physical design may look and feel more familiar to more users, with the ability to push both the top and bottom and half of the switch rather than just a single button. The dimmer controls are also a simple rocker alongside the main switch. While the D26HD installs at a single-pole location with a neutral wire required, you can wirelessly pair it with Leviton's Anywhere Companion switches or dimmers for control at two or more locations on your wall.

This second-generation model already worked with the major smart platforms and voice assistants from Amazon, Google, and Apple, but a firmware update further adds support for the universal Matter standard. It's a forward-thinking step that lets you integrate the switch with any Matter-compatible platforms or devices if you have a Matter network set up. The My Leviton app also gives you a rich suite of remote settings and controls, including preset brightness levels and fade rates, multi-device grouping, and schedules based on sunrise/sunset times.

Connectivity: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Matter hub | Switch Style: Rocker switch with rocker dimmer | Circuit Type: Single-pole | Control Method: My Leviton, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri, IFTTT, Matter

If you're ready to invest in a full smart switch environment across your home, Lutron's Caseta platform is a trusted choice, and the Diva Smart Dimmer Switch Starter Kit is a great way to jump in. A big advantage of the bundle is that it comes with the Lutron Smart Hub that the local wireless system operates on. It's an extra piece of equipment that needs to stay cabled to your router for smart features to work, but it lets you easily add other Lutron switches, without a neutral wire or having to connect each unit to Wi-Fi. Besides making app control possible, the hub offers compatibility with more smart platforms and voice assistants than most switches do, even without any plans to add Matter compatibility.

Also included in the kit is a Pico smart remote that serves as another control point—some versions come with a pedestal to set the remote onto, while others provide a wall plate for mounting the remote to your wall like a three-way switch. For the switch itself, the original Caseta switches used a multi-button design much like the remote, but the newer Diva style opts for a more conventional paddle/rocker that fits more naturally with most homes' aesthetics. The dimmer function, too, forgoes buttons in favor of a slider with a thin LED bar to indicate the current brightness level.

_{Connectivity: Lutron Clear Connect RF | Switch Style: Rocker switch with dimmer slider | Circuit Type: Single-pole | Control Method: Lutron app, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri, Samsung SmartThings, Ring, IFTTT, remote control}

Devices like the Dimmer + Motion Smart Switch from GE's Cync smart line combine capabilities that make a lot of sense together. By using a motion sensor as well as ambient light detection, the switch can determine whether someone's in the room or not and turn the connected lights on or off accordingly. It automates your lighting even more intelligently and potentially saves you on energy costs. Dimming, too, is built into the switch, designed with a circular primary button and brightness up and down buttons above and below it (which may not suit everyone's decor tastes).

Another significant advantage of the switch is that a no-neutral version is available for locations without neutral wiring. No hub is required, either; this model utilizes just three wires for line, load, and ground. It does, however, require a minimum of 15 watts total across the bulbs at the switch. LED lights often fall below this threshold, so if they don't add up to 15 watts, you'll need to screw on the included bulb adaptor. Once the switch is installed, it connects to the Cync app via Wi-Fi, as well as uses Bluetooth to pair with GE Cync smart bulbs that aren't on the same switch and with other similar switches for control from multiple locations.

_{Connectivity: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Switch Style: Single button with dimmer and motion sensor | Circuit Type: Single-pole | Control Method: Cync app, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant}

Final Verdict

Our best overall is the TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Dimmer Switch KS225 because of its effective design, simple installation, intuitive app controls, and excellent cross-platform compatibility and potential through Matter. For those willing to commit to a specific smart lighting control platform, the Lutron Caseta Diva Smart Dimmer Starter Kit (our best kit pick) provides a well-designed switch, a remote that doubles as a movable three-way location, and a hub that powers the ecosystem's connected features and wide compatibility with leading smart home brands.

FAQ

• Do smart switches use a lot of electricity?

  Smart switches will draw a small amount of electricity in order to stay connected to your network and be ready for your commands, but not enough to make a big impact.

  "It would be so minimal, I'm not sure it would have any significant load to it," says master electrician Ryan DalPezzo. "I wouldn't say smart switches save energy; they would be about the same as a regular on/off switch." He suggests that the kind of light bulb used, such as LED rather than incandescent, would help save energy instead.

• Can you swap out normal switches with a smart switch?

  Generally speaking, yes, as long as you're replacing it with a compatible type of switch and meeting the electrical requirements at the location, which tend to be standardized across the switch market.

  "Most homes have 120 volts for their lighting, and most switches would be rated for that," DalPezzo says. "A big thing is your wattage, and what your LED bulb's wattage is. You can have a lot of bulbs with low wattage and no issue with overloading the switch."

• Do I need an electrician to install smart switches?

  Smart switches usually come with relatively straightforward installation steps designed for homeowners to follow, involving connecting a few electrical wires and mounting the hardware to your wall. Depending on your needs and your home's current electrical setup, however, the process can quickly become complex or require some troubleshooting. Contact an electrician any time you're beyond your comfort zone—when live electricity is in play, you could start risking the safety of yourself or your equipment.

  "Work safe, keep the power off, and be careful," advises DalPezzo. "Check your connections. With some brands, you need to specify your line (which is power in) and load (which is power out to the light). Make sure you have those oriented correctly or it won't work.

  "I'm not opposed to people giving things a shot," DalPezzo adds. "But if it doesn't work right, then call a professional. It can be less expensive if you call a professional right away, before you burn out your equipment."

The 7 Best Dimmer Switches of 2024